Kasper Hjulmand’s tenure as Bayer Leverkusen head coach remains unblemished after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Mainz 05. Alejandro Grimaldo’s two goals in the first half, coupled with Christian Kofane’s strike, seemed to secure the win.
However, Martin Terrier’s late goal proved pivotal for Mainz as they mounted a comeback attempt.
Grimaldo initiated the scoring from the penalty spot following a foul on Jonas Hofmann by Nikolas Veratschnig. Shortly after, Kofane extended Leverkusen’s lead by capitalising on Ernest Poku’s assist. Despite Lee Jae-sung narrowing the gap with a goal after a long throw-in wasn’t cleared, Grimaldo restored Leverkusen’s two-goal advantage just before halftime with a composed finish from Hofmann’s pass.
Nadiem Amiri, a former Leverkusen player, reignited Mainz’s hopes with a penalty in the 71st minute. Terrier then marked his return from an eight-month injury by scoring past Lasse Riess on his second attempt. Amiri continued to push forward, assisting Armindo Sieb to reduce the deficit further. However, their efforts fell short at MEWA Arena.
Leverkusen’s Dominance and Record-Breaking Streak
Despite the close scoreline, Leverkusen dominated with an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.47 from 20 shots compared to Mainz’s 1.61 from 12 attempts. Their away performance continues to impress as they remain unbeaten in their last 37 Bundesliga away matches (25 wins and 12 draws), marking it as one of the longest streaks in league history.
In Europe’s top five leagues, only Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan have had longer unbeaten away runs. Captain Robert Andrich set a new Bundesliga record with 38 consecutive unbeaten away games, surpassing Bayern Munich legends Dante and Philipp Lahm who each held records of 37 games.
Leverkusen’s impressive form under Hjulmand is evident through their consistent performances both home and away. The team looks poised to continue their strong run as they aim for further success this season.